In Sermon Illustrations: "Jesus Came"

What Will Follow You When You're Gone?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 17, 2020

You make a choice of which will one you leave behind to others - Blessings or Curses. Jonathan Edwards, was a Puritan Preacher in the 1700s. He was one of the most respected preachers in his day. He attended Yale at the age of thirteen and later went on to become the president of Princeton ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-6

Tags: Blessings, Curses, Generational Sins

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Does It Mean To Be Real?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 18, 2020

Excerpt from the Story of the Skin Horse “The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces. He was wise, for ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:8, John 3:16

Tags: Love, Children, Marriage, Family, Relationships, Real, Unconditional Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unsung Heroes: He Helped David With The Sheep

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 14, 2020

Text, 1 Samuel 17:20-21, KJV: 20And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. 21For Israel and the Philistines had put the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:20-21

Tags: David, Sheep, Shepherding

Denomination: Baptist

The Keeper Of The Springs

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 2, 2020

THE KEEPER OF THE SPRINGS by Peter Marshall Once upon a time, a certain town grew up at the foot of a mountain range. It was sheltered in the lee of the protecting heights, so that the wind that shuddered at the doors and flung handfuls of sleet against the window panes was a wind whose fury was ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:1-10

Tags: Sin, Purity, Righteousness, Holiness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

7 Ways That Eve Distorted The Word Of God

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 27, 2023

Let’s go back to Genesis 2:16-17 to review exactly what God said and then we’ll compare it to the distortion Eve came up with: “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in ...read more

Tags: Eve, Sin, Evil, Satan, Truth, Temptation, Word Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

An Epiphany On Generosity

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Jun 23, 2023

I recently drove my adult son to the airport for a trip he was taking with some friends. He lives in Arkansas but was flying out of DFW, so he drove to our home in Denison to spend a little time with us. While he was gone I drove his car a few times just to make sure it was running well. I guess ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:7, James 1:17

Tags: Generous, Steward, Giving, Stewardship, Give, Generosity, Selflessness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Did Haman Use Wood From Noah's Ark To Build His Gallows?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 28, 2023

We read in the Bible how, at the end of the Great Flood, the Ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat (which some identify as the Armenian Highlands). Since the Torah doesn’t ascribe any intrinsic holiness to Noah’s Ark, it is not at all surprising that once Noah left it, there isn’t any real ...read more

Tags: Miracles, Haman, Purim, Jewish Tradition, Gallows, Archeaology, Israel, Ark, Noah  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[053]. A Message From A Poem – Daniel In The Lion’s Den

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 11, 2025

[053]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DANIEL IN THE LION’S DEN There used to be a chorus when I was young that went this way – Dare to be a Daniel; Dare to stand alone; Dare to have a purpose firm, And dare to make it known. The poem here this time is a very simple one just retelling the story of ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 6:19-22, Psalm 31:15, Acts 22:4, Acts 16:23

Tags: Delivered, Rescued, Daniel, Persecution, Poetry, Poem, Lions  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[214]. A Message From A Poem - Paul’s Prison

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 28, 2025

[214]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - PAUL’S PRISON This is my oldest surviving poem. I had parts of others but they are gone. The poem came about when thinking of Paul in prison in Rome. Everything seemed against him there, but he was never forsaken by God of course. When Paul was in prison he ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:15, 2 Timothy 4:11, 2 Timothy 4:10, Philippians 1:23

Tags: Luke, Paul In Prison, Christian Poems, Devotion, Asia, Defection, Departure, Desertion, Demas  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Rembrandt’s Return Of The Prodigal Son

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026

I was an art major in undergrad, which means I took more art history classes than any human should be required to sit through. And then, because God has a sense of humor, I spent an entire semester in seminary studying one painting. One. Rembrandt’s The Return of the Prodigal Son. Paper after paper ...read more

Scripture: James 4:10, Luke 15:20

Tags: Grace, Repentance

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God Was Building Someone I Didn't Have In Mind

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 18, 2026

I've got an idea of the kind of person that I want to be. Anyone else? In fact, that's probably one of the reasons that I'm so hard on myself sometimes. One of the reasons that I may not like me, at times, maybe as much as I should, is because I want to be the kind of person that ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 16:11, Proverbs 16:9

Tags: God's Plan, Calling

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Voice Mail  PRO

Contributed by Dru Ashwell on Dec 20, 2001

VOICE MAIL While we have a direct access to our Heavenly Father, imagine if He had one of those computer-answering devices. It might be something like this: As we begin to pray we hear... Thank you for calling your Heavenly Father’s house. Your call may be monitored for quality assurance. Please ...read more

Tags: God's Omniscience, Ever, Prayer Adoration, Illustration, Prayer General  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sarah  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2002

"Sarah" I’m Sarah, I’m sixteen; Last night I failed. I prayed for more strength, So why did I yield? He said he loved me, Brought me flowers and all; Then he took me upstairs And caused me to fall. I feel so ashamed, So dirty inside. He’s taken my heart; ...read more

Tags: Purity, Sin Separates From God, Set Apart, Sexuality, Holiness  (view more)  (view less)

The Most Important Freedom  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 24, 2002

THE MOST IMPORTANT FREEDOM Patrick Henry was a famous statesman and orator of colonial Virginia. In 1764 he was elected to the House of Burgesses where he became a champion of the frontier people, supporting their rights against the arrogant exercise of power by the aristocracy. In 1774 he was a ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:1, Galatians 5:1-12

Tags: Independence Day, Christian Values, Love Of The Disciples

Burying Karla Faye Tucker  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 15, 2002

BURYING KARLA FAYE TUCKER In February 1998, the State of Texas prepared to execute Karla Faye Tucker, for her participation in the murder of Jerry Lynn Dean and Deborah Thornton with a pick ax in 1983. What brought this story to the News agencies was Karla’s request for a stay from execution. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

J. P. Moreland, In His Book Apologetic ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Oct 13, 2002

J. P. Moreland, in his book Apologetic Reasoning and the Christian Mind, tells of an experience that illustrates the importance of truth: “One afternoon I was sharing the gospel in a student’s dorm room at the University of Vermont. The student began to espouse ethical relativism: ‘Whatever is ...read more

Scripture: John 18:37

Tags: Evangelism, Relativism, Truth

Denomination: Methodist

Years Ago A Farmer Owned Land Along The Atlantic ...  PRO

Contributed by Bjornlleven Rodriguez on Mar 11, 2003

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27, Romans 13:11

Tags: Faith, Peace

Denomination: Church Of God

A Prayer For A Nation At War  PRO

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 19, 2003

A PRAYER FOR A NATION AT WAR Our Father in Heaven, We thank You that You know exactly what is going on here on earth. We sinful human beings constantly find ourselves confused, distressed, and alarmed because of our own behavior and that of others. What miseries result from our sinful ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, War, Prayer Supplication

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Story: At A Comparative Religions Conference, The ...  PRO

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Dec 31, 2003

Story: At a comparative religions conference, the wise and the scholarly were in a spirited debate about what is unique about Christianity. Someone suggested what set Christianity apart from other religions was the concept of incarnation, the idea that God took human form in Jesus. But someone ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8, John 3:16

Tags: God's Love, God The Father, Love

Denomination: Anglican

Conclusion... The Matrix ...  PRO

Contributed by Troy Borst on Aug 24, 2004

CONCLUSION... The Matrix (http://www.ozsermonillustrations.com/frames/truth_&_error_frameset.htm) One of the great films of 1999 was The Matrix, starring Keanu Reeves. It’s a futuristic sci-fi movie, where the world has been taken over by computers. The computers need the energy that comes from ...read more

Tags: Bible Truth

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ